Sparrows going hungry in Britain

Superman · Fleet Admiral Joined: 06 Dec 2003 Posts: 10220

It's all here.

I can see where the article is coming from. The sparrow going hungry due to the lack of spiders and insects is only one theory, but I don't see many spiders and insects in this day or age, even during the hottest summer days.

There's something very wrong with nature when animals of any kind are going hungry because of problems in the food chain.

(Oh, and I hope no-one here tells me spiders are insects, because they are not).

borgslayer · **Mon Feb 13, 2006 7:21 pm**

Spiders are Arachnids...

Superman · Fleet Admiral Joined: 06 Dec 2003 Posts: 10220

I knew that. But some people don't. I love it when someone talks about spiders and says, "I hate insects." I usually smile and correct them (but not in a superior way, I'm a nice guy).

Seven of Nine · **Tue Feb 14, 2006 2:08 am**

Spiders are cute...

I should tell the sparrows to live in my bathroom- all the spiders seem to hide in my bath

(We have a lot of sparrows living near me- and as there's a lot of woodland we have a lot of spiders, too).

madlilnerd · **Tue Feb 14, 2006 2:03 pm**

Well here's a believable theory- we used to have a lot of sparrows. London was famous for its "cockney sparra". We didn't have many sparrowhawks (can't remember why).
Then:
Sparrowhawk breeding programme introduced. Rise in sparrowhawks, decline in sparrows.

Anyone care to guess what the sparrowhawk's favourite food is?

Also, there are less hedgrows and bushes about. Just outside Notre Dame in Paris there are a whole load of decorative hedges. And guess what? There's a whole load of sparrows too.